Thank You, Gir
by Tohdoh
Summary: For once, Zim shows gratitude for the dysfunctional yet lovable robot who has stuck with him through thick and thin. [Oneshot, takes place shortly after "Gir Goes Crazy and Stuff."]


**"Gir Goes Crazy and Stuff" has a special place in my heart for being the first Invader Zim episode I saw when I was a kid. It got me into watching the series starting with the pilot episode.**

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**Thank You, Gir**

Waves lapped at their feet as Zim and Gir stood by the shore bidding farewell to the squid-man. The former police officer paddled away, thinking all the while he was still a squid.

Gir waved his hand wildly. "Byyyye, byebye! Byyye!" With as much brightness as ever, he turned to Zim. "He's gonna get eaten by a shark."

Zim did not reply. He fought back a shudder when he thought of just how close he was to meeting his demise by the hand of his own robot slave. He never thought that reprogramming Gir and "setting him back to normal" would yield such drastic consequences.

Ever since his arrival on Earth and the inception of his grand scheme to conquer this measly planet, Zim had always been annoyed and angry with the hapless and scatterbrained Gir. But never frightened. That is, until today.

Gir had rampaged through the library red-eyed and hellbent on completing his mission, which involved incinerating the master he deemed incompetent and stupid. Never before had Zim been so scared for his artificially made Irken life. Gir looked so different now, innocently blue eyed and happily playing in the sand.

"Listen, Gir..."

Gir kept making sand angels. "Yeah? You wanna eat? Cuz I wanna eat! I always wanna eat!"

Zim bit back the urge to yell back, as he had always done out of habit. "No, Gir...I want to apologize."

Gir stopped playing and looked up at his master as he tilted his cylindrical head. "Apo-low-giiiize? What's that mean?"

Zim scrunched his eyes shut and a strangled groan sounded from behind gritted teeth. Finally, the words came out like maple syrup on a cold day. "It means...that I'm...I'm..."

Gir's remarkably short attention had already kicked in as Zim nervously trailed off, and the robot returned to making sand angels and humming to himself.

"I'm sorry, Gir!" Zim blurted.

Gir certainly never heard that from his master before. The robot stopped to hear him go on. Zim tried to think of more things to say. Something very strange stirred in his heart. Or at least he thought it was a heart. He wasn't sure. He never cut himself open to find out, or cut open other Irkans for that matter. Zim couldn't put a finger on what that strange feeling was. Could it be...guilt? He had always berated, mistreated and yelled insults at his robot slave ever since the two had met. Never had he seen Gir retaliate with just as much anger or more. The flighty, happy-go-lucky robot always took it with a beaming smile; most of the time he didn't understand the insults thrown at him. Looking back, Zim realized that Gir never did anything to deserve that abuse. Sure, Gir annoyed him to wit's end at times, but the robot simply wanted to be happy, and for his master to join in that happiness.

Zim wasn't sure if he wanted to be mindlessly happy all the time like Gir. After all, he was an invader on an important mission. He had lowly human worms to conquer, and the Almighty Tallest to impress. There was no time for big smiles and piggies and tacos.

Still, Zim figured that an elaborate, emotional speech of repentance was in order. But he was unable to muster any coursge, will, or prope words to do so.

All he could do was managed a crooked grin at Gir and say, "There's a waffle house not too far down the road. I heard it makes great chicken and waffles. It's all on me."

"Waffles! Yay!" Before Zim could react, Gir threw himself on his master in a tight hug. "I love yoooou."

Zim returned the hug with as much uncomfortable awkwardness as a beached whale trying to flop back into water. Nevertheless Gir felt the gesture and his grin grew all the more wider.

That was his way of apologizing, and that was Gir's way of forgiving, Zim supposed.

"Waffles first, invasion after?" Gir asked.

Zim flashed a grin of fiendish glee at his robot. "Yes, exactly! Excellent, Gir! For once, you and I are on the same wavelength. Together we shall enslave this filthy little planet soon enough!"

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**In a coastal town near where I live, there really is a waffle house that makes really great chicken and waffles. It seems like a strange combination of sweet and salty, but it tastes fantastic.**

**If Zim came to his senses from his God complex and was nice to Gir, the show would be much shorter. I guess the creators have good reason to make Zim so angry and dim-witted all the time.**


End file.
